Soft Shell Eggs in the middle of the night

[Michael Propst]

I have an update on Dottie and would love to hear any thoughts on what might be wrong and how to possibly test for it. This has been a month now with soft shell or no shell eggs getting dropped out in the middle of the night. The vet I go to for my dogs does have a Avian vet on hand and I did speak with her last we at the time she suggested a few supplements which have provided no help. The state a disclosure although she is a Avian licensed vet people having backyard chickens around here is fairly new and she is more specialized in exotic birds. I know she has a network she reaches out to if needed. So this is why I am asking this community of experts your opinion and thoughts so when I call her again I have some things to mention to her from a group that has been raising chickens for a very long time.

Ok here is the update. 3 nights ago she continued to lay in the middle of the night from here roost but there has just been the white of the egg, no yoke, no shell, just the egg white on the ground under her. Again she is now 14 months and laid great last fall and through the winter, this situation just started when the weather turned and spring arrived. Besides the egg issue she has seemed fine and normal running around with the others, eating and drinking until yesterday. She was fine in the morning when I opened the run to let them out into the backyard for the day, then late afternoon I notice her a bit lethargic laying under a tree. I went out to check on her and she did get up and start to move around digging at the ground, then 15 minutes later I found her laying down being a storage box. She appeared weak. Not knowing what I am completely dealing with I immediately set up a dog kennel in the garage and isolated her from the others. She has been eating and drinking in there and getting up on the roost I put in the kennel for her but still seems to have no real energy when I check on her. I am pretty certain this is now a reproductive issue with her. This is where I need input from this community to know when I call in the morning what to ask the vet to check, is there a direction I can guide her to look, is there a blood test or any test that can steer us to the problem.

I guess another question is has anyone else ever experienced this and if so can it be reversed. These are my girls and it just breaks my heart to see them with any issue

 

[aart]

she suggested a few supplements which have provided no help.

Please describe the supplements and their application.

I would give her nothing but the layer feed and plain water for a week or so.
Skip the grubs(mealworms?) and sprouted herby grains for now.

Can you put some 1x2 cage wire on the bottom of the crate?
Here's what I do when I have a bird like that:
I'd isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so you can closely monitor her intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and her poops. Feel her abdomen for squishy or hard
swelling.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[Michael Propst]

Please describe the supplements and their application.

At the time just extra calcium and vitamin D3

The only crate I have that she is in now would take up way too much space in the run. I may have to look into getting a smaller one in the future. I did add electrolytes to her water and right now all she is getting is that and her layer feed.

I have been doing some reading and looking up dropping references from What's the Scoop on Chicken Poop. I am fearing she either has ovarian cancer or egg yolk peritonitis. Her poop is very watery and green with white stuff in it. Pictures attached.

 

[aart]

What kind of electrolytes?
Just one dose or continual?
The loose stools aren't a good sign, can be caused by many things.
Have you checked her crop function?
Is she eating her feed?